In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Baum mentions about the wish to eliminate the “horrible and blood-curdling incidents” normally associated with traditional fairy tales. The information provided by Baum may be scary to readers, especially where the Tin Woodman chops off the head of the wildcat. It is both unappealing and one that goes against the principle of extreme care towards some of the elements that are important in the lives of creatures. However, by drawing information from the historical perspectives, one may understand why Baum had to make Tin Woodman take such violent action against the wildcat. During the time, wildcats and wolves had posed a great danger to American farmers. They had also posed a huge challenge to ranchers. As a result, many people had a belief in the need to destroy them. It seemed to be a better option. It would serve as a lasting solution towards them being able to practice their farming activities without having the fear that the animals would continue disturbing them and destroying the crops they had taken time to cultivate.

Baum also makes a calculated move by having the Lion remain in the poppy field. He, therefore, wishes to go against the fable developed by Aesop where he had created a scenario where a mouse owes a Lion. In Baum’s work, the mouse now owed the Tim Woodman. However, the work of Baum appears to have some seem to have some semblance to some extent. For instance, the mice return a favor and help to rescue the Lion.